Spiritual Strategic Journey Results

Last Sunday we witnessed an amazing demonstration of the love, compassion, and energy our congregation has for the future of Decatur First and the work of God in this community.

335 adults ate lunch together and listened to presentations from three teams that had spent two months crafting possible scenarios for the future of our church. The scenarios had emerged from three months of spiritual discernment, during which more than 220 of us met weekly in “prayer and share triplets,” seeking God’s guidance.

All three presentations last Sunday were excellent - compelling & inspiring. After the presentations, the people present spoke with a clear voice, selecting the second scenario: Decatur First Missional. We feel God is calling us into mission in our community & beyond, grounded in deeper relationships with God & each other, & utilizing of the gifts & talents of our entire congregation.

In all three presentations the themes of relationship-building, inclusiveness, using our gifts, & making strong connections with our Decatur context surfaced again & again. There is an obvious passion to share the love of God with each other & with our community! The amazing turn-out & response throughout our Spiritual Strategic Journey confirms that God is at work in us & in this process.

So what’s the next step? Using the Missional scenario as the starting point, & incorporating the best supporting ideas from the other two scenarios, we’ll start work next week on the Future Story of Ministry at Decatur First.

A writing team that includes members from all three scenario groups will weave these ideas into a powerful vision for where we go from here. On Sunday October 18, our entire congregation will join together in one service to worship God & celebrate this Future Story together!

Katy & I are inspired and humbled by the incredible energy, leadership, & vision that our Spiritual Strategic Journey is generating.